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No turning on the power

DURHAM, N.H. -- When you're facing a team that has scored more goals on enemy power plays than their opponents have scored, you know you could be in for a tough night.

It was another tough night for the UMass Lowell hockey team.

Second-ranked New Hampshire scored its fourth shorthanded goal of the season midway through the first period -- the Wildcats have now outscored opponents 4-2 on their own power plays -- and grabbed a 4-0 lead before blunting a late UML comeback to beat the River Hawks, 5-2, in front of a throng of 5,725 at the Whittemore Center on Friday night.

UNH 5, UMass Lowell 2

The Wildcats (10-1-2, 7-1-1 Hockey East) are now unbeaten in their last seven games (6-0-1) while the River Hawks saw their brief two-game winning streak ended.

It was the 10th time in 11 games this season the River Hawks (4-6-1, 2-5-1) have been limited to three goals or less.

"If you don't get chances, then you're really worried," said coach Norm Bazin of UML's sputtering offense. "When you get chances and don't convert them, that's a different worry."

Unlike two weeks ago when they generated next to nothing offensively in a 3-0 loss to UNH, the River Hawks had a multitude of chances last night and outshot the Wildcats, 36-34.

"I thought we had our opportunities, but it's the same old thing, right?" Bazin lamented. "You have to execute your opportunities because on the flip side, you don't want to give the second-ranked team in the country too many.

"They don't miss too many.

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UNH's first goal came midway through the first period while UML was on a power play as Grayson Downing finished off a 2-on-1 shorthanded break with Kevin Goumas, Hockey East's leader in overall scoring with 22 points.

Two minutes later the River Hawks had a 2-on-1 break of their own, but Casey DeSmith blocked Joseph Pendenza's backhander. Derek Arnold also had a glittering chance earlier in the game when he was all alone in front of the net with the puck but lost control of it when he tried to go to his backhand.

The officials also reviewed a potential UML goal with 4:19 left but ruled the puck had not completely crossed the goal line.

The River Hawks began the second period on a power play and stormed the net but couldn't score. Then, at 2:16, John Henrion scored a deflating goal for the Wildcats, beating Doug Carr through a screen from 25 feet out in the slot to make it 2-0.

"We could have been up 2-0 instead of down 2-0," Bazin said. "We just have to flip our fortunes tomorrow."

The Wildcats then doubled their lead with a pair of goals 91 seconds apart late in the second period. Gomas netted a power-play goal during a scramble in front of the net, and at 16:49 Downing was left all alone in front of the net to pot his second goal of the night and seventh of the season.

Downing and Goumas had scored nine of UNH's 10 goals in the last two games to that point.

The River Hawks finally scored on a goal by Shayne Thompson with 1.9 seconds left in the period and cut UNH's lead to 4-2 when Michael Colantone banged in the rebound of a Scott Wilson shot at 7:10 of the third period.

Any UML hopes of a comeback during a chippy third period between Hockey East's two least penalized teams evaporated at 17:15 when Austin Block put a shot behind relief goalie Connor Hellebuyck from a tough angle with a shot that clanged off the near post and crossbar.

UNH went 0-for-5 on power plays. The Wildcats have killed off 27 consecutive power plays and 45 of 47 this season.

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